20 Scientific Reasons to Start Meditating Today

New research shows meditation boosts your health, happiness, and success!

I started meditating soon after 9/11. I was living in Manhattan, an already chaotic place, at an extremely chaotic time. I realized I had no control over my external environment. But the one place I did have a say over was my mind, through meditation. When I started meditating, I did not realize it would also make me healthier, happier, and more successful. Having witnessed the benefits, I devoted my PhD research at Stanford to studying the impact of meditation. I saw people from diverse backgrounds from college students to combat veterans benefit. In the last 10 years, hundreds of studies have been released. Here are 20 scientifically-validated reasons you might want to get on the bandwagon today:

It gives you perspective: By observing your mind, you realize you don't have to be slave to it. You realize it throws tantrums, gets grumpy, jealous, happy and sad but that it doesn't have to run you. Meditation is quite simply mental hygiene: clear out the junk, tune your talents, and get in touch with yourself. Think about it, you shower every day and clean your body, but have you ever showered your mind? As a consequence, you'll feel more clear and see thing with greater perspective. "The quality of our life depends on the quality of our mind," writes Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. We can't control what happens on the outside but we do have a say over the quality of our mind. No matter what's going on, if your mind is ok, everything is ok. Right now.

It Keeps You Real

Once you get to know your mind, you start to own your stuff and become more authentic, maybe even humble. You realize the stories and soap operas your mind puts you through and you gain some perspective on them. You realize most of us are caught up in a mind-drama and become more compassionate towards others.

And...the more you meditate, the more you seem to benefit, research studies such as this one suggest.

Myths about Meditation

Having an empty mind—nope, in fact, when you start meditating, you'll find its quite the opposite

I can't clear my mind—no worries, while you're sitting there you'll experience the noisy chaos of a wound up mind that's unwinding: tons of thoughts, feelings and emotions. Don't worry about how you feel during, notice how you feel after and throughout the rest of the day

I can't sit still—that's ok, just sit comfortably, fidget if you need to

I get anxious—that's also normal, all the junk's coming up, learn some breathing practices to calm yourself down, exercise or do yoga before meditating

I hate sitting still—that's fine, then go for a walk without your earphones, phone etc; or start with yoga; or do breathing exercises…give yourself time to just "be" without constantly "doing" something

I tried and I hated it—there's not just one kind of meditation, there's a whole menu out there, look for the shoe that fits: mindfulness, Transcendental, compassion, mantra, Vipassana, Art of Living breathing practices, yoga nidra, yoga, insight, loving-kindness, tai chi etc...

I don't have time - if you have time to read an article about meditation all the way through, you have time to meditate. Think of all those minutes you waste every day on the internet or otherwise, you can definitely fit in 20 minutes here or there to give your life a boost! Gandhi is quoted as saying "I'm so busy today, that... I'm going to meditate 2 hours instead of 1."

Source: HarperOne2016

To read more on the benefits of meditation for your health, happiness & success, check out my book The Happiness Track (HarperOne), now available in paperback!

meditation is about consciousness...not about rituals be it clothing or posture or place. having said that following anything which makes you comfortable be it specific place or time or any other ritual will definitely help in meditation.

Great article Emma. Thanks for sharing this. I'm leading a group of first timers in meditation this evening and will share this article with them. It's nice to have some solid science behind the experience.

I've been listening to a recording of Tibetan bowls, when meditating. I get different reactions, on any given day:
-Involuntary movement of hands and legs
-Sometimes chanting, almost like "speaking in tongues"

I was just wondering what you think about this. I usually meditate alone, so is there any reason to be concerned?

All so true. However, as Americans we want to rush into meditation with bodies that are not occupied or under our control, with minds that chatter and undeveloped concentration.

The same people who feel these meditation benefits when unprepared will experience a whole other level of benefit if they perform the ancient preparations for meditation (most often overlooked). Get the body and mind, breath and spirit right first with yoga. The first seven petals of yoga prepare us for the eight, meditative absorption.

Trying to meditate with an untrained body and mind is like trying to use a paper cup to hold lava, or running high voltage through a narrow-gauge wire. This lava is the nectar of prana (kundalini shakti or prakriti) that rises when in real meditative state (not the calm relaxation most think of as meditation).

Don't believe me or the countless generations of sages, especially you experienced meditators who are skeptical reading this. Just try it. You will see. No words will be needed, no explanations or books or articles. If you sit with a strong and fully occupied body, with all chakras balanced, then you will experience the real benefits of meditation.

Thanks for the awesome article and the connected stories that you connected so well. As a meditation junky myself, I always enjoy reading articles that highlight the value of meditation. My family and I meditate together each morning. I would enjoy talking with you about the benefits that bring to the family structure if you are interested.

Good to see the benefits listed succinctly, with references to the evidence - thanks.

However I must take issue with your admonition to avoid lying down. I have never felt sleepy or gone to sleep when meditating lying on my back, whether on the floor after a strenuous yoga workout (pre-illness) or lying on my bed, which is where I often meditate these days.

Everyone's different. Just experiment with what works best for you. And sometimes sleep can be the desired outcome of meditation - clearing the mind of anxiety in order to get to sleep more easily.

Thanks for your fabulous article. I really appreciate the technical detail and research into how the brain works.

Regarding posture, I lie down and put both hands on my heart. For some reason, the hands on heart thing really adds a new level for me. Discovered it by chance. If I fall asleep, I just try again later.

I started in Feb 2014. Didn't think it would work so well. It's like free valium. Amazing bliss, not all the time, but very regular. Quite mind boggling esp after living with high anxiety for such a long time.

40 years ago I opened the door to transcending and it just gets better and better. Now we know how valuable something so easy and natural is for the brain and health of the body. The absolute peak value is yet to be determined by science. Meditation's potential is beyond comparison for effective rejuvenation and enlivenment of the incredible human nervous system. It is indeed the highest technology on the planet and the survival of our species may ultimately depend upon it.

What a great article on meditation! I really liked it and even though I read a lot on this recently, I found here some new information:-)

I started to meditate seriously about 1,5 months ago and it feels different. More calm during the day, more productive at work. My mind is still overloaded with thoughts but sometimes I am more aware of the thoughts and do not engage in the drama so easily. Still a long way in front of me, but definitely I feel I am on the right way:-)

Well written post. some serious discussion going on here. Who knew people had such strong feelings about their quiet time. Meditation can give you a feeling of peace and calm that advantages both your emotional well-being and your overall health.